She stood on the stairs again, her sister beside her, bleeding out to death. Immense sadness crushed her at the sight of her beautiful sister looking so… empty. But Kelly urged her to look forward. Beatrice refused and kept looking back at her dear sister, reaching her small hands out to stop the bleeding.
And Kelly pushed her away. Again and again. She shouted something but no sound came out of her and Beatrice wondered if it had to do with her slit throat.
Kelly threw her hands around madly, desperate to make Beatrice understand but Beatrice stubbornly kept her eyes on her sister, terrified of what she'd find by turning around.
Nothing good ever happened to curious cats.
She startled at the words and whirled around. In a second, she stood at the foot of the stairs and in front of the mirror. She desperately wanted to look away but felt her sister's corpse behind her, urging her to look forward.
Beatrice gasped awaked and ran to the bathroom to heave over the toilet. She had trouble eating lately so the efforts her body gave to get the nausea out were pretty useless.
She sat on the cold tiles and pulled her knees to her chest in comfort and waited for the trembles to subside.
That's how her mother found her, sobbing on the bathroom floor.
Beatrice hated hospitals. She had seen enough psychiatrists for a lifetime and no one had helped. However, she welcomed the sedatives this time, she was too tired.
She remained a little under two weeks in the hospital and only came back home when she felt strong enough to manage without he chemical crutch. Her parents were even more present but it didn't feel suffocating. She welcomed their fussing and constant checks on her because when they left, she felt so lonely and cold.
She faded away, curling up on herself and feeling too weak to hold on.
Until one night. She dreamed again. She dreamed of dirty blond locks hiding her from the flames. Of a soft reassuring voice promising to get her out.
Beatrice couldn't give up. She was the only one who could clear that innocent woman's name and bring the truth to the surface.
So she got out of bed, pulled up her sleeves, kissed her parents on the cheeks and went back to work. She couldn't falter now. No, because now he had a new clue.
She never expected it to progress so fast.
—
June looked over the rental ad she had been hesitating over this time. Somehow every single ad she had responded to quickly got back to her to announce the offer had already been taken.
She had heard how harsh the rental world was but she hadn't realised exactly how challenging it would be to find something.
« Whatcha doing ? » Julian threw himself on the sofa next to her and June instantly melted as her son rested his head on her thighs, her free hand automatically going into his blond locks.
« Nothing, » she answered and smiled as he purred under her ministrations.
« Okay, then I need you to help me, » he looked up at her.
« Of course, anything. »
« Dad's birthday is coming up pretty fast and I still haven't found anything for him, » Julian groaned in defeat. « He's the hardest person to shop for. »
« Is he ? » June tilted her head to the side in thought. He had always loved whatever she got him.
« He is, » Julian nodded firmly. « So I figured we should join efforts. »
« Sure, » June loved how it sounded whenever her son linked them together in any way. « I already got him something but I can return it and we'll find something together. »
« You already have ? » Julian's eyes widened.
« Y-yes, » June looked away in embarrassment. « But it was not that great any way. »
« No, keep it, » Julian sat up and turned back to look at his mom. « I'm sure he'll love it if it's from you. Still, you'll help me, right ? »
« Of course ! »
« Let's go shopping then ! »
June nodded eagerly and soon they were off to the mall.
—
Thomas's birthday was a small affair. He never celebrated it and his close family and friends knew better than to throw him a surprise party. However, he still got gifts from everyone. He never wished for anything and though he was always appropriately grateful, nothing ever made his heart race.
Except June and her incredibly thoughtful gifts. Maybe it was just because they were from her. Probably.
This year he found himself wanting to ask for something. It wasn't much but he wanted to spend that evening with her, just the two of them, take her out to a nice restaurant for which she had to get dressed up, drive her down to the lake later, throw a blanket on the ground and worship her under the moonlight. Just be allowed to love her in front of the whole world.
He sighed as the sixth of July arrived and he had yet to ask June out. Not for lack of trying. But she always changed subject whenever he went for it.
« Are you alright ? » Ma asked seeing he hadn't eaten much today.
« Hm ? » Thomas raised his head up and found his family all looking at him with varying degrees of annoyance. Only Julian seemed to find the situation amusing.
« We're invited over to the Bensons' for dinner tonight, » Pa repeated what he had missed. « You're coming ? »
« No, » Thomas didn't hesitate and it seemed to only anger his grandmother further.
« You have something planned ? » She asked, trying to sound innocent but failing.
« Yes, » he didn't lie. He hadn't exactly planned it but he was going to head over to June's trailer as soon as he could.
« With whom ? »
« June, » he declared, having long ago decided he wasn't going to hide her. He respected her terms and restrained his urges to declare his intentions to her out loud but he never agreed to lie if directly asked.
« Thomas… » Ma sighed while Lizzy choked on her food. He poured some water in his daughter's glass.
« I'm not my father, » Thomas looked his grandmother in the eyes and finally got it off his chest. The whole table froze at his words. « I know you're worried, just as you were nineteen years ago. But I'm not him. I never was. »
« Son, » his grandfather frowned but Thomas knew he was holding back tears.
« You know what it's like Pa, » Thomas looked him in the eyes. « I don't know if anyone else can understand me like you should because you get what it is to feel this way for someone. It's not wrong. It may not be sane but it's not wrong. »
He saw the conflicted look on their face and allowed them to digest what he had just said.
« Don't do this dad, » Lizzy pleaded when he stood up.
« One day you'll understand, Liz, » he leaned down to kiss her on the head. « I can't force it upon you but I'm not going to let her go either. »
He threw a salute at his beaming son and left.
The car ride to June's trailer was interminable.